Gopalganj farmers benefit from cucumber cultivation

GOPALGANJ Sept 16: Farmers of Durgapur union under Gopalganj Sadar upazila in the district are benefiting from the cultivation of cucumber as the crop is being sold at a high price in local markets recently.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj official sources, about 70 hectares of land have been brought under cucumber cultivation and the production target is 1,425 tonnes this season in the district. Of them, 10 hectares of land are under farming at Durgapur of Sadar upazila in Gopalganj, sources said.

Mani Sheikh (35), a local farmer of village Bedgram, Sadar upazila said he cultivated cucumber origin 'green line' on one acre of land (100 decimal) this year spending Tk 45,000. He already earned Tk 75,000 from its produce but rest of cucumber may be sold above Tk 90,000 if the weather condition remains favourable, Mani said during a visit to his field.

Farmers in this region are cultivating the vegetable widely as its demand is higher than any other vegetables. They are interested in farming cucumber for more benefit, sources said.

Some local farmers said a grower can make a profit of about Tk 90,000 to Tk 92,000 from per bigha (52 decimal) of land. More than 100 farmers of Durgapur union under Sadar upazila in the district have been farming the crop this year and farmers are selling per maund (40 kg) cucumber at Tk 1,200 in the local markets.

While this correspondent visited a cucumber field in Karargati area under Sadar upazila on Sunday it was found that farmers working in their field and harvesting with smiling faces.

Nitul Roy, Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO), Gopalganj Sadar told The FE that the various kinds of cucumber including green line variety is grown more in this region and farmers are more interested to cultivate this crop, UAO added.

Sukdeb Biswas (42), another farmer of village Nilokhi northpara under Sadar upazila said he cultivated cucumber origin 'green line' on 1.50 acres of land and spending Tk 55,000 and he is collecting 4 to 5 maunds cucumber from his field everyday.

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